Add this small batch recipe for easy pumpkin spice scones to your fall breakfast menu! The tender and flaky scones are full of pumpkin, cozy spices, and finished with a cinnamon brown butter glaze.
Easy Small Batch Pumpkin Spice Scones
Pumpkin everywhere, including your breakfast! Your pumpkin spice latte overnight oats deserve a delicious companion, and this small batch of pumpkin scones fits the bill.
Sure, you can go to your chain coffeehouse and get both, but I assure you, homemade scones are so much better! Fresh from the oven and drizzled (or drenched!) in an uber-rich glaze will be your new favorite breakfast treat.
And with the success of my strawberry small batch scones, holiday cranberry scones, and kid-friendly peanut butter and jam scones, these pumpkin scones are sure to be a must every fall!
Easy Scone Recipe for Fall
- Easy to make with simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry and fridge.
- Ready in about 1 hour and are incredibly delicious the day they are baked.
- Actual pumpkin flavored enhanced with pumpkin pie spice – just like the streusel pumpkin spice coffee cake!
- Soft, tender, buttery, and rich best describe these pumpkin spice scones.
Ingredients
- Canned Pumpkin – Use pure canned pumpkin (my preference is Libby’s canned pumpkin because it has the least amount of moisture), and not pumpkin pie filling.
- All-Purpose Flour – If you have experience with gluten free flour blends, you can swap that in for a gluten-free-friendly scone.
- Granulated Sugar – I like to use organic cane sugar for the rich and not-as-refined flavor. Regular white sugar will work as well.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar work. Dark brown sugar will impart a rich flavor and a little more moisture.
- Baking Powder -To give the scones a little lift while they bake.
- Salt – To balance and enhance all the yummy flavors, salt is wonderful for this!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – Keep it simple and use store-bought spice, or feel free to swap in your own mix.
- Unsalted Butter – I prefer unsalted since we add salt. Key: the butter must be cold to yield tender scones!
- Heavy Cream – The cream will make the scones soft and rich. Whereas without, I find scones get too crumbly.
- Egg Yolk – The egg yolk also makes the scones rich and tender – as well as acting as a binder in the dough.
- Vanilla – A little vanilla for even more flavor!
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Scones
1. Prepare The Dry and Wet Ingredients
First things first: Cut the butter into cubes and put it in the freezer to get cold! This will make the dough tender and flaky!
Whisk together the flour, both sugars, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Then, in a liquid measuring cup, measure out the cream. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin and whisk until well combined.
Key Tip! All the refrigerated ingredients should be cold! This will ensure soft and tender scones. You can even put the liquid ingredients in the measuring cup in the fridge while you prepare the dry ingredients.
2. Add COLD Butter To the Flour
Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mix. Use your fingers to press the cubes into small discs – about the size of a nickel. All those butter chunks will yield wonderfully tender pumpkin scones!
Tip! It is ok if some of the butter discs are larger than others. Just make sure they are *roughly* the size of nickels and coated with flour.
3. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Pour the mixed wet ingredients over the dry. Use a sturdy spatula or spoon to mix the dough until it is moistened and just combined. The dough will be rough and shaggy and that is ok.
Tip! Do not overwork the dough or you’ll end up with tough scones!
4. Shape, Cut, and Bake The Scones
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a disc about 6 inches in diameter. If the dough is too wet for you, lightly flour your hands to shape.
Cut into 4 wedges and place separated on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Refrigerate the cut scones before baking! This will allow the dough to hydrate, rest, and firm the butter. Bake the pumpkin spice scones for 25 to 28 minutes.
Tip! I love my baking mat because it sticks to the counter and has handy measurements. I also love using a bench scraper – instead of a knife – to make cutting the scones easy. Both are (affiliate) linked in the recipe card.
Cinnamon Brown Butter Scone Glaze
Now that you have a fresh small batch of delicious fall scones, you need an equally delicious glaze! And yes, the brown butter glaze is as good as it sounds!
The spiced glaze for the scones adds even more flavor to the already delicious scones. You can enjoy the scones without, but the rich nutty flavor of the brown butter adds another layer of flavor to the breakfast treats.
For other glaze options, try my orange glaze on the cranberry Christmas mini cake, or the maple syrup glaze on the maple glazed cinnamon rolls.
Recipe FAQ
The egg yolk acts as a binder to keep the scones from being too crumbly. Additionally, it makes the scones tender and adds to the rich flavor. Without the egg yolk, I find scones to be more dry and crumbly.
Chances are, the dough was overworked when mixing and shaping. It is ok if the dough is rough and shaggy – which contributes to the tender and flaky texture. Additionally, if the ingredients are too warm, the scones may bake flat and dense. Which is why I recommend chilling the cut scones before baking.
The scones are best enjoyed the day they are baked, but for any leftovers, cover and keep at room temperature for 3 days. Baked and cooled scones can also be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months.
More Small Batch Pumpkin Recipes
Since you will have leftover pumpkin puree, below are some delicious small batch pumpkin recipes to use more pumpkin!
Easy Small Batch Pumpkin Spice Scones
INGREDIENTS
Strawberry Scones
- 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (50 g) organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ¼ cup (88.72 ml) heavy cream, cold (plus more for brushing the tops)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup pure canned pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)
Cinnamon Brown Butter Glaze
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons milk, any kind
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pop the cold butter cubes in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Pumpkin Scones
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, both sugars, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Add the cold butter cubes to the flour. Using your fingertips, press the butter cubes into small flat, flaky discs (about the size of a nickel) – making sure they are all coated with flour. You should still see butter chunks in the dough when you are done mixing it. Note – You can also freeze the stick of butter, grate it on a box grater, and toss in the flour until coated.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- In a liquid measuring cup, measure 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Add the egg yolk, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir with a fork to combine.1/4 cup heavy cream, cold, 1 large egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup pure canned pumpkin
- Pour the liquid into the flour mix. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix until a rough, shaggy dough forms and the flour is moistened. If needed, add more heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Pour the dough onto your rolling mat (or lightly floured surface). Gently work the dough into a ball. It will be sticky, so you can flour your hands to make it easier. Press the dough ball into a 6-inch disc. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut into 4 wedges.
- Place the wedges 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.turbinado sugar
- Refrigerate the scones for 10 to 15 minutes (while the oven is preheating) to rest and hydrate the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Bake the chilled scones for 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden on the tops and edges. Cool the scones on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack while you make the glaze.
Cinnamon Brown Butter Glaze
- For more details, tips, and faq's for the glaze, check out the full blog post for the cinnamon brown butter glaze recipe.
- Add the butter to a small skillet set over medium heat. Stir the butter around the pan with a spatula as it melts and heats. Once the butter has melted, keep stirring as it gets foamy and brown, and brown butter flecks develop in the butter. The butter will have a rich, nutty aroma. This will take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. Note – Once the butter begins to brown, it browns quickly. Do not walk away from it, or it may burn!1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cinnamon. It will foam up as it blooms in the hot butter. Stir with a spatula or whisk to combine.1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour the brown butter into a small mixing bowl. Then, add the milk to the skillet you just used to warm the milk. Tip – Warming the milk will bring it to the same temperature as the butter, so the butter doesn't seize up. Which will make the glaze easier to mix.
- Add the powdered sugar and salt to the brown butter in the bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined – it will be thick. Add about 1 tablespoon of the warm milk and whisk to loosen the glaze. Add more milk until you reach your desired consistency. Allow the glaze to sit for about 10 minutes to cool and thicken. Note – Using the full 2 tablespoons of milk will yield a looser glaze, however, the glaze does thicken as it cools.1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons milk, any kind
- The glaze is ready to use immediately. Or completely cool glaze can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or longer. The glaze will thicken and harden when refrigerated. To loosen, microwave for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Drizzle the glaze over the tops of the scones. The scones are best enjoyed the day they are baked. Leftover, scones can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled and cut into 8 scones.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – You can swap the pumpkin pie spice for your own homemade blend or all cinnamon.
- Chill Before Baking – I recommend chilling the cut scones for 10 to 15 minutes to let the dough rest and hydrate. Otherwise, the scones may be extra crumbly.
- Overnight Instructions – To make the night before, prepare to the point of cutting the scone dough, cover the scones, and refrigerate, then follow the instructions to bake.
- Freezing Baked Scones – Baked and cooled scones can be frozen for up to 3 months. Gently place in a sealed freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.
NUTRITION ESTIMATES
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you! Click here to learn more about me!